The Independent’s investigation into property taxes — which previously primarily focused on a state law that allows certain tracts to be classified as agricultural property even when there is little to no ag activity on them (an already-problematic and outdated law that was being exploited by some local property owners) — will be expanded to analyze whether residential and commercial property owners across the parish are paying their fair share.

For example, how can the commercial property at 537 Jefferson St. (a vacant lot) sell for $60,000 in 1996, $110,000 in March 2006 and $210,000 later that same month, and $283,500 last year be assigned a “taxable market value” of $43,600 by Lafayette Parish Tax Assessor Conrad Comeaux and pay only $500 in 2014 taxes?